Must Haves:-
+ Interiors - I can't stand a car with poor looking interiors, the quality of materials is absolutely a must as my cars are driven quite a bit and I need them free of rattles and squeaks. Moreover, that's the place I am going to spend my most of the time in hence it has to be a pleasant space. It also brings me to another important aspect, ergonomics. It has to be spot on or it just spoils the car for me. One of the reasons why I don't experiment much with the manufacturers irrespective of how much I like one of their products. For me, it's always between Hyundai, Honda & Toyota or the Germans except Audi.
+ Design - Another extremely important aspect for me.
Simple yet sophisticated with a tinch of sportiness. The car should have a character of it's own. I generally don't like the quirky designs (Baleno, WR-V, KUV, XUV) much but too simple cars also don't work for me. For e.g Vento & Polo but I wouldn't mind buying the Rapid as I find it to be better looking with a lot more character. I firmly believe the quote, "if you do not look at your car after parking, you're driving the wrong car".
+ Engine - After driving so many different kinds of engine, I truly don't know what I really prefer, especially the debate of NA vs Turbos puts me in a serious dilemma hence I have just made a simple list of how I want my car to drive.
i.e Good low grunt for quick runs in traffic and overtakes, minimal Turbo Lag, Strong Mid Range, Adequate Top End, refinement & NVH Levels are another major important factor for me. I don't care if it's noisy outside but it just shouldn't be too audible to me. In the lower range, both 1.2 i-vtec & Kappa has met me requirements, in the mid range City & Altis does the job fine though the 3er leaves the area of improvement but well, it's so good to drive that I kind of ignored that
+ Maintenance - Nothing too expensive, as my cars are driven highly, I prefer something which is easy to maintain and doesn't cost a bomb but at the same time I don't want to compromise on the vehicle. For me, Hyundai & Honda does it perfectly and among the premiums, my money will go on to Mercedes Benz followed by BMW though I feel Warranty plans of the latter is cheaper. I am among the few who doesn't like the after sales service of Toyota at all. Infact I would go on to call them crooks.
+ Features - I love getting pampered hence a good set of features is a must for me. Yes! It brings down the reliability of the vehicle because of too much technology involved but who doesn't wants to get that good feel factor? Having said that, the following are my must have features.
- ICE with Good set of Speakers, Bluetooth Audio is a must.
- Automatic Climate Control with Defogger
- Steering Mounted Audio Controls
- Seat Memory Function with Arm Rest
- Powered Adjustable Driver's Seat With Auto dimming IRVM & Electrically Folding Wing Mirrors.
- LED or Projector Setup For Head Lights with Strong set of Fog Lamps.
- LED Tail Lamps (Bright and looks brilliant from an Aesthetic point of view as well)
- Informative MID With well LIT Cluster. (DTE is a must)
+ Safety - If I am paying so much money on a vehicle depending on the segment, I want it to be as well built & equipped as possible. For e.g in a hatchback, Multiple Airbags with ABS and EBD is good enough for me but when I am spending for a 3er, I want them all like 6-8 Airbags, Adaptive Headlights, ABS with EBD along with ESP and traction Control. One feature I would like to have in my vehicle would definitely be the AEB. In fact, the more the merrier. Furthermore, the car ought be 5 Star rated.
+ Light Clutch - An absolutely must if I'm driving a manual. It's just gets too annoying with a long and heavy clutch. In the current traffic scenario of our Cities, if the car I am driving has a heavy clutch, I am getting an Uber.
Strict No's
- Poor Build Quality - I love my life way too much to compromise on that.
- Notchy Transmission - Absolutely spoils the driving experience.
- Poor Rear Seats - At times, quite a few friends & Family travels with me hence comfort is an absolute priority. I don't want them complaining!
- Stiff Suspension - Similar to what I said above, additionally even though it improves the grip levels, I am not going to attack corners all day long hence I would prefer more a mature setup.
- Dead Steering - Being an avid Hyundai user and now driving Japs and Germans, I can't imagine being behind the wheel of a poor handling vehicle. It should atleast be neutral. For e.g the new setup of the upcoming Hyundai vehicles is quite okay for me though I absolutely hated how the older generation i10s drove.
- After Sales Service - I begin harrowing my dealer if the car is not ready on time or if a simple service is taking an entire day! It's extremely important to have a good after sales service along with Parts availability. I hate BMW for that but the dealership experience is quite good hence it's overall fine though I absolutely loved Mercedes Benz for this.
- Poor Automatics - A well tuned Transmission is extremely important, AMTs are a strict NO!
- Convertibles - Yes! They look absolutely smashing but I just hate the overall body style and wouldn't want to drive one in this polluting environment. Moreover even on a highway I like to feel cocooned in my vehicle hence it's just not my type of vehicle.
- Poor Driveability - I am running away from a vehicle which just doesn't offer a decent driving experience, for e.g a heavy clutch with Notchy gear box and Turbo Lag.
Nuetral
Fuel Efficiency - Anything around 9 - 11 kmpl works for me.
The other aspects are far more important.
Resale Value - I don't care as I keep the car for atleast 5 - 7 years and most of them end up clocking more than a Lakh in the same period hence the Resale is not a major concern.
Apple Car Play & Android Auto - I will still use the Bluetooth anyway hence doesn't matter.
Size - Never mattered! I love them all for e.g I wouldn't mind buying a Carnival or say the Kwid too.
Value For Money Factor - As GTO too said, I am not price sensitive. It's the overall vehicle which ought appeal to me as it's going to be a part of my everyday life. Hence, I cannot fathom buying something just because it's more Value for Money.
Service Network - I don't want 100s of dealerships all around, instead I would prefer quality workmanship.
Sunroof - Do we really need it? It doesn't matter unless I am getting a Panoramic roof.